What is Japan Series?

The Japan Championship Series (日本選手権シリーズ試合), or Japan Series (日本シリーズ) is a seven-game championship played by the winners of Japan's two professional baseball leagues (the Central League and Pacific League). It is the highest level of play in professional baseball in Japan. It is usually played in October. As in all of the best of seven series, the first tem to win four games is the overall winner and is decleared the Japan Series Champion (日本一, the Japan Series Champion) in each year. The 2006 Series began on Oct. 21.[1].

The Home Team for the games 1, 2 and eventual 6 and 7, alternates between the two leagues with the Pacific League having the advantage on the years ending with an odd number and the Central League on the years ending with an even number. So the 2007 Japan Series has the Pacific League team hosting the games 1, 2 and eventual 6 and 7.

Historically, the Central League has been more successful in the Japan Series than the Pacific League having won thirty-two times versus the Pacific League's twenty-four. The team with most championships is the Yomiuri Giants, who have won the Japan Series twenty times. However, the Pacific League has won four consecutive Series, and has not lost the Series since the inception of the three-team stepladder playoff format to determine the league champion.

The 2006 Japan Series pitted the Central League champion Chunichi Dragons against the Pacific League champion Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters. After losing game one of the series in Nagoya, the Fighters won the next four games to become the 2006 Japan Series champions. It was the first Japan Series Championship for the Fighters franchise since 1962.

List of winners of Japan Series

Central League	Pacific League

Year	Winning Team	Losing Team	Series	MVP
1950	Mainichi Orions (PL)	Shochiku Robins (CL)	4–2	Kaoru Bettou
1951	Yomiuri Giants (CL)	Nankai Hawks (PL)	4–2	Yukou Minamimura
1952	Yomiuri Giants (CL)	Nankai Hawks (PL)	4–2	Takehiko Bessho
1953	Yomiuri Giants (CL)	Nankai Hawks (PL)	4–2–1	Tetsuharu Kawakami
1954	Chunichi Dragons (CL)	Nishitetsu Lions (PL)	4–3	Shigeru Sugishita
1955	Yomiuri Giants (CL)	Nankai Hawks (PL)	4–3	Takehiko Bessho
1956	Nishitetsu Lions (PL)	Yomiuri Giants (CL)	4–2	Yasumitsu Toyoda
1957	Nishitetsu Lions (PL)	Yomiuri Giants (CL)	4–0–1	Hiroshi Oshita
1958	Nishitetsu Lions (PL)	Yomiuri Giants (CL)	4–3	Kazuhisa Inao
1959	Nankai Hawks (PL)	Yomiuri Giants (CL)	4–0	Tadashi Sugiura
1960	Taiyō Whales (CL)	Daimai Orions (PL)	4–0	Akihito Kondo
1961	Yomiuri Giants (CL)	Nankai Hawks (PL)	4–2	Toshio Miyamoto
1962	Toei Flyers (PL)	Hanshin Tigers (CL)	4–2–1	Masayuki Dobashi Masayuki Tanemo
1963	Yomiuri Giants (CL)	Nishitetsu Lions (PL)	4–3	Shigeo Nagashima
1964	Nankai Hawks (PL)	Hanshin Tigers (CL)	4–3	Joe Stanka
1965	Yomiuri Giants (CL)	Nankai Hawks (PL)	4–1	Shigeo Nagashima
1966	Yomiuri Giants (CL)	Nankai Hawks (PL)	4–2	Isao Shibata
1967	Yomiuri Giants (CL)	Hankyu Braves (PL)	4–2	Masaaki Mori
1968	Yomiuri Giants (CL)	Hankyu Braves (PL)	4–2	Shigeru Takada
1969	Yomiuri Giants (CL)	Hankyu Braves (PL)	4–2	Shigeo Nagashima
1970	Yomiuri Giants (CL)	Lotte Orions (PL)	4–1	Shigeo Nagashima
1971	Yomiuri Giants (CL)	Hankyu Braves (PL)	4–1	Toshimitsu Suetsugu
1972	Yomiuri Giants (CL)	Hankyu Braves (PL)	4–1	Tsuneo Horiuchi
1973	Yomiuri Giants (CL)	Nankai Hawks (PL)	4–1	Tsuneo Horiuchi
1974	Lotte Orions (PL)	Chunichi Dragons (CL)	4–2	Sumio Hirota
1975	Hankyu Braves (PL)	Hiroshima Carp (CL)	4–0–1	Takashi Yamaguchi
1976	Hankyu Braves (PL)	Yomiuri Giants (CL)	4–3	Yutaka Fukumoto
1977	Hankyu Braves (PL)	Yomiuri Giants (CL)	4–1	Hisashi Yamada
1978	Yakult Swallows (CL)	Hankyu Braves (PL)	4–3	Katsuo Osugi
1979	Hiroshima Toyo Carp (CL)	Kintetsu Buffaloes (PL)	4–3	Yoshihiko Takahashi
1980	Hiroshima Toyo Carp (CL)	Kintetsu Buffaloes (PL)	4–3	Jim Lyttle
1981	Yomiuri Giants (CL)	Nippon Ham Fighters (PL)	4–2	Takashi Nishimoto
1982	Seibu Lions (PL)	Chunichi Dragons (CL)	4–3	Osamu Higashio
1983	Seibu Lions (PL)	Yomiuri Giants (CL)	4–3	Takuji Ota
1984	Hiroshima Toyo Carp (CL)	Hankyu Braves (PL)	4–3	Kiyoyuki Nagashima
1985	Hanshin Tigers (CL)	Seibu Lions (PL)	4–2	Randy Bass
1986	Seibu Lions (PL)	Hiroshima Carp (CL)	4–3–1	Kimiyasu Kudo
1987	Seibu Lions (PL)	Yomiuri Giants (CL)	4–2	Kimiyasu Kudo
1988	Seibu Lions (PL)	Chunichi Dragons (CL)	4–1	Hiromichi Ishige
1989	Yomiuri Giants (CL)	Kintetsu Buffaloes (PL)	4–3	Norihiro Komada
1990	Seibu Lions (PL)	Yomiuri Giants (CL)	4–0	Orestes Destrade
1991	Seibu Lions (PL)	Hiroshima Carp (CL)	4–3	Kouji Akiyama
1992	Seibu Lions (PL)	Yakult Swallows (CL)	4–3	Takehiro Ishii
1993	Yakult Swallows (CL)	Seibu Lions (PL)	4–3	Kenjiro Kawasaki
1994	Yomiuri Giants (CL)	Seibu Lions (PL)	4–1	Hiromi Makihara
1995	Yakult Swallows (CL)	Orix Blue Wave (PL)	4–1	Thomas O'Malley
1996	Orix Blue Wave (PL)	Yomiuri Giants (CL)	4–1	Troy Neel
1997	Yakult Swallows (CL)	Seibu Lions (PL)	4–1	Atsuya Furuta
1998	Yokohama BayStars (CL)	Seibu Lions (PL)	4–2	Takanori Suzuki
1999	Fukuoka Daiei Hawks (PL)	Chunichi Dragons (CL)	4–1	Kouji Akiyama
2000	Yomiuri Giants (CL)	Fukuoka Daiei Hawks (PL)	4–2	Hideki Matsui
2001	Yakult Swallows (CL)	Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes (PL)	4–1	Atsuya Furuta
2002	Yomiuri Giants (CL)	Seibu Lions (PL)	4–0	Tomohiro Nioka
2003	Fukuoka Daiei Hawks (PL)	Hanshin Tigers (CL)	4–3	Toshiya Sugiuchi
2004	Seibu Lions (PL)	Chunichi Dragons (CL)	4–3	Takashi Ishii
2005	Chiba Lotte Marines (PL)	Hanshin Tigers (CL)	4–0	Toshiaki Imae
2006	Hokkaidō Nippon Ham Fighters (PL)	Chunichi Dragons (CL)	4–1	Atsunori Inaba

NOTE: There is a limit to the number of innings which may be played during any game in Japanese professional baseball. All ties after 15 innings (was originally 12 innings) are official tie games and must be replayed for the purpose of the Series.

Teams by number of wins in Japan Series

Team	Wins	Losses
Yomiuri Giants	20	10
Seibu Lions	12	8
Tokyo Yakult Swallows	5	1
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks	4	9
Orix Buffaloes	4	8
Hiroshima Carp	3	3
Chiba Lotte Marines	3	2
Hokkaidō Nippon Ham Fighters	2	1
Yokohama BayStars	2	0
Chunichi Dragons	1	6
Hanshin Tigers	1	4
Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes	0	4
Shochiku Robins	0	1

See also

• Nippon Professional Baseball
• World Baseball Classic
• Baseball World Cup
• Asia Series
• 2005 Konami Cup Asia Series
• 2006 Konami Cup Asia Series

External links

• Japan Baseball Daily

•  • [ e] Nippon Professional Baseball Japan Series
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Nippon Professional Baseball
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Hiroshima Toyo Carp	Hanshin Tigers	Yokohama BayStars	Seibu Lions	Orix Buffaloes	Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
Japan Series - Japanese Baseball League (former) - Eastern League - Western League-